New medal for Korea vets could take a year

[thedrifter]

New medal for Korea vets could take a year
By T.D. Flack, Stars and Stripes
Pacific edition, Saturday, January 18, 2003



Defense Department officials say it could take about a year to design, fund and issue a new medal for troops who served in South Korea after the war.

The Korea Defense Service Medal ? authorized in the 2003 Defense Authorization Act ? will be issued to servicemembers who completed tours of duty in South Korea, or adjacent waters, after July 28, 1954, when the military stopped issuing the Korea War Service Medal.

The medal was authorized after former soldier John Maclean told Congressman Elton Gallegly (R-Calif.) he was fed up with years of ?lack of recognition and respect? for the time he spent in South Korea.

Maclean is among hundreds of thousands of U.S. troops who served in Korea since the mid-1950s. He was there from 1959 to 1960, patrolling the Demilitarized Zone, setting ambushes and staffing listening posts.

Like the 37,000 troops serving here now, he lived in the shadow of one of the world?s largest armies, under what the military considers hardship duty.

There have been 40,000 reported armistice breaches since 1953, according to U.S. Forces Korea. And more than 1,200 servicemembers have died on peacetime duty, including two U.S. soldiers killed by axe-wielding North Koreans in 1976.

According to a news release, the sheer number of anticipated recipients makes it difficult to estimate how long it?ll take to identify, notify and award the KDSM.

?We were the forgotten warriors of the forgotten war,? Maclean told Stars and Stripes. ?We deserve this $1.50 medal.?


Sempers,

Roger

[kenmar]

DoD to recognize Korea vets with medal

by Tesia Williams WASHINGTON (Army News Service, Jan. 2, 2003) -

A new defense medal will eventually be issued to military members who served in the Republic of Korea, or adjacent waters, after July 28, 1954.

The new Korea Defense Service Medal was authorized by the Fiscal Year 2003 Defense Authorization Act. The U.S. Korea Defense Service Medal should not be confused with the foreign service Republic of Korea War Service Medal that was authorized for U.S. military personnel who served in Korea between June 25, 1950 and July 27, 1953, officials said.

The new medal will be for those who served in Korea after the war, up to an undetermined ending date, said officials from the Office of the Secretary of Defense.

Given the volume of anticipated recipients, officials said the time it will take to award the KDSM is difficult to estimate.

They said it will take time to identify, notify and award the medal to eligible former service members.

Some of the actions that must be completed are: A: designing the medal, B: obtaining necessary funding, C: developing policy for issuance and wear and processing to include verification of service and then D: award of the medal.

The first three actions should be completed in approximately four to six months, officials said. However, based on previous experiences when creating service medals the entire process can take up to a year, officials added.

(Editor's note: Tesia Williams is a member ot the U.S. Army Personnel Command public affairs team.)

[MORTARDUDE]

Doesn't duty in South Korea since the Korean War hostilities ended in 1953, still qualify as a war-zone for CIB ( Combat Infantry Badge ) purposes ? Just curious. Thanks.


Larry N. AKA MORTARDUDE

[kenmar]

Originally posted by MORTARDUDE Doesn't duty in South Korea since the Korean War hostilities ended in 1953, still qualify as a war-zone for CIB ( Combat Infantry Badge ) purposes ? Just curious. Thanks.

Motardude, Yes, but only a one time award for Korea after 27 July 1954.

http://usmilitary.about.com/library/...dges/blcib.htm

COMBAT INFANTRYMAN BADGES:
AWARD ELIGIBILITY: Awarded to personnel in the grade of Colonel or below with an infantry military occupational specialty who have satisfactorily performed duty while assigned as a member of an infantry unit, brigade or smaller size, during any period subsequent to 6 December 1941 when the unit was engaged in active ground combat. The policy was expanded to permit award to Command Sergeants Major of infantry battalions or brigades, effective 1 January 1967. Specific criteria for each conflict was also established. Only one award is authorized for service in Vietnam, Laos, Dominican Republic, Korea (after 27 July 1954), Grenada, Panama, and Southwest Asia. The complete criteria for each area and inclusive dates are listed in Army Regulation 600-8-22.

[catman]

True to Army forum. How many more medals and awards can we invent and issue for basically showing up and doing what you are payed to do?

Trav

[kenmar]

Originally posted by catman True to Army forum. How many more medals and awards can we invent and issue for basically showing up and doing what you are payed to do? Trav

I'm waiting for the "Service above and beyond' award to all who caught VD during night maneuvers.

ken

[catman]

During or I should say after the gulf war in 91 all officer and senior NCO's, in my unit were awarded Bronze Stars, E-5 and E-6 were given ARCOM's and E-4 and below were issued AAM's.

Many years ago the Army awards system went right in the shitter. Many, many men were given the same awards though out history for bravery under fire and now these assholes wreck it and issue everyone who showed up one.

Sometimes I question the awards i've received and what was the real reason for there issue.

Trav

[David]

We had a lot of senior personnel put themselves in for awards like the bronze star after the Gulf War. It's funny though, they did not put any lower enlisted in for anything. These were the same senior personnel who sat in a tent while we dug foxholes and then had a backhoe dig theirs. They were also the same senior personal who road marched us into a minefield among other brilliant maneuvers. My dad told me when I was a kid his VN medals along with about $.50 were worth a cup of coffee.

[catman]

David, I am afraid the same is true today, but the cup of coffe costs about $1.50 nowadays!

Trav

[Terry Cashatt]

I can remember having a company formation the morning we flew out of the Gulf to come home. All the Platoon sergeants were called up and given Bronze Stars. I argued (respectfully) with our commander to get an Arcom for one of my guys and he wouldn't buy off on it because the guy was a slob. The guy wasn't the cleanest thing going but he did know his job and he did it day in and day out. That pretty much did it for me.
TC